past tense of may
1
—used to express permission, liberty, probability, or possibility in the past
The president might do nothing without the board's consent.
2
—used to say that something is possible
We might get there before it rains.
I might go, but then again, I might not.
3
—used to express a present condition contrary to fact
If you were older you might understand.
4
a
—used as a polite alternative to may
Might I ask who is calling?
b
—used as a polite alternative to ought or should
You might at least apologize.
I might have known she'd be late.
1
a
: the power, authority, or resources wielded (as by an individual or group)
b(1)
: bodily strength
(2)
: the power, energy, or intensity of which one is capable
ran with all her might
striving with might and main
2
dialect
: a great deal
Synonyms
Examples of might in a Sentence
Noun
an impressive display of military might
the legal might of the government
Recent Examples on the Web
Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023
Early corporate behavior and statements from executives suggest that companies might be accepting the 1% tax as a cost of doing business, not changing their buyback practices.
—Richard Rubin, WSJ, 7 Feb. 2023
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
The overall impact, however, has been an unmistakable depreciation of the genre’s commercial might.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for might 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Auxiliary verb
In the 1970s and 1980s, researchers set out to find signals that might precede earthquakes, looking at a hodgepodge of cues like animal behavior, radon emissions and electromagnetic signals.
—Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023
Early corporate behavior and statements from executives suggest that companies might be accepting the 1% tax as a cost of doing business, not changing their buyback practices.
—Richard Rubin, WSJ, 7 Feb. 2023
Noun
Yet, only a handful were doing so at the time of Trump's criticism—a long-running concern of successive U.S. administrations—with NATO instead leaning disproportionately heavily on American military might.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
The overall impact, however, has been an unmistakable depreciation of the genre’s commercial might.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for might
Dictionary Entries Near might
Cite this Entry
“Might.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/might. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
might
2 of 2 nounˈmīt
: power to do something : force
with all my might
Etymology
Old English meahte, mihte (an auxiliary verb)
Noun
Old English miht "power, might"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share